Finding Hermione
by Sierra Rhiannon
Summary: Hermione finds herself wandering back to her safehouse, Hogwarts, after a tragic accident involving someone very dear to her. Instead of the place she'd remembered as a rock, she finds a broken home.
1. Lost & Insecure

Chapter Playlist:  
_-"You Found Me" – The Fray  
-"Ironic" – Alanis Morisette_

Disclaimer:  
_Yeah, ya know.. I don't own these characters. I don't own anything Harry Potter related. I don't own The Fray. I do, however, own this alternate interpretation._

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.:'* You Found Me*':.

My brows furrowed as I crept into the gates of my beloved alma mater. I felt my heart sink down to my toes, and creep back up into my throat. I couldn't control my action of suddenly bawling at the horrendous sight of the place. I walked, very slowly toward the collapsed doors of Hogwarts, wiping my draining tears away from my face only long enough to take in what was left of the castle.

The door that I had always looked toward as my great safety was lain in broken pieces before me. It looked, in my years at Hogwarts, like a stone. It seemed as if no hazard could come to us. I swallowed hard, trying to repress my emotional breakdown. I couldn't seem to rid myself of this sudden spell. What, with pieces of one of the strongest links of safety I'd ever known simply charred and wrecked on the stairs before me. The windows, as I looked up, seemed to all be busted out. It was as if someone had come and thrown a croquet ball through each one of them. There were towers that seemed to be missing from the height and greatness of this place. It didn't look at all the beacon of hope I'd known it as in my youth.

I skillfully crept over the pieces of the door, murmuring _lumos_ under my breath to lighten the darkness I was sure to endure within the castle. I sighed in relief at the two grand doors standing in between myself and the great hall, the place I remembered so well from my school days. I peered around, letting my wand poke out at the walls. Pictures had been abandoned long before by those that had once taunted us all. The hall seemed lonely without them, all too quiet. At least when others went home for the winter holidays, the paintings would be chatting or snoring in this grand hallway. I moved forward carefully, pushing the doors gently open. I felt greif as I looked around, yet again. The flags of the four pods or dormitories, "houses," as we called them were ratty. It looked as if all of them had been attacked by some sort of wild animal. The tables and chairs were overturned- plates and goblets were left scattered, some broken. The ceiling, which had always been enchanted in such a way that really gave Hogwarts its magical glow no longer filled the cathedral ceiling. Instead, it was only void, empty.

I turned to leave the room, closing the doors quietly after myself. Did I dare to creep up to the library, which had filled so many of my days and nights? Could I handle what might await me in a place I may as well have called home? I closed my eyes and drew in a deep, stiff breath, only to cough it back out due to the amount of dust that filled the building. I pushed my thoughts and fears aside and made my way up to the library. I tried to just ignore the condition of the building as I moved quickly around stairs and down hallways. I couldn't remember the walk ever seeming this gradual, I thought. I had to be lost- that was the only explanation I could come up with, but I wrote it off as nerves.

Finally finding myself at the entrance, I braced myself and pushed myself into the immediate room quickly. Surprised at what I found, I had to rub my eyes gently.

"Hermione, you've got to be dreaming this up," I murmured to myself quietly. I started toward the rows of book shelves. They looked completely untouched. As if whatever- or rather.. whoever had ransacked this castle had forgotten this room. I tried to restrain the squeal that accompanied my huge grin as I ran through the aisles, eyes flicking over titles that I'd read in school, and even some that I'd gotten to read since then. I let out a squeaky laugh as I stopped at the title Hogwarts: A History. I reached my finger out to lightly touch the spine of the book, my eyes closing. I felt a warm feeling enclose me as I took the book from its place and opened my eyes. I checked the back of the book, seeing my own name on the note card, having signed it out so many years previous.

I dropped the book, however, startled by a loud sound. My breath hitched in my throat, as it felt like it was closing up. I looked around slowly, reaching down to pick the book back up to place it back on its shelf. I tried to tell myself that the sound was just a forgotten owl that'd gotten trapped inside the school, but I felt as if I was being watched. I turned to leave, but instead of seeing the slight light from the hallway, I was met by a pair of silvery eyes. I could hear my heart pounding at the wand poking me in the side, the eyes furiously staring down at me.

"I'm sorry, I just- someone dear to me that I went to school with passed recently.. we went here, and I just wanted to visit, it- I needed the memory.." I pleaded, tears forming in my eyes. I couldn't even think to get a good look at what I was sure was my ticket to jail- or even worse, my killer. After all, not all of the death eaters had been captured so many years ago. I could hear a whine creeping in my voice as I stammered my words out, "I was just about to leave, I swear, please don't.."

"Mudblood?" I heard a husky, sex-dripping voice inquire.

Hurt by the word, I had gotten used to it. With the power always shifting between self-proclaimed "cured, ex-death eaters," and those of us that had some sense, the word should have been something I was used to. "Well, sure.. I mean, that's a hurtful term, but I'm not of wizarding backgro-"

"Shut your yap, you nitwit. That's not what I –" The mysterious figure snapped back to me, "I- Granger.. You're Hermione Granger."

"If you have orders to kill me, I understand.. Just, please let me say goodbye first, I can't just die, I-" I paused, finally letting myself get a look at my killer. Long silvery-blonde hair, that pointed little face.. well, not so little any more- more like chiseled. I had to sweep in a deep breath, this time finding the air to have a sweet, yet tart and manly scent.. a scent that I could almost taste the sin in. "M-Malfoy?"

Oh great. I was about to be killed by a blubbering idiot, by the most vain, ridiculous wizard in existence. That twat was about to take my life. I wouldn't even get to die in dignity.

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**If I don't get reviews, I probably will NEVER update this. So, be sure to review if you read. I read a great quote on here.. To not review a story is like not tipping your waitress. If you think the service is good, leave me a tip. =]**


	2. Uninvited

Chapter Playlist:  
_-"Right Round" – Flo Rida  
-"Uninvited" – Alanis Morisette_

Disclaimer:  
_Yeah, ya know.. I don't own these characters. I don't own anything Harry Potter related. I don't own Flo Rida or Alanis Morisette. I do, however, own this alternate interpretation._

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.:'* Uninvited*':.

"Bloody hell, woman," the blonde muttered, backing away as if I had some sort of contagious disease, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He gave his robes a proper wipe down, as if trying to rid himself of whatever I may have rubbed off on him, and it was only as he did this that I noticed how disgusting he really looked. Draco Malfoy, in school, had always been perfectly polished. His hair was always combed perfectly, he only had the finest robes. That wasn't the man I stared back at, though. He was dingy. His robes looked as if he'd been wearing them for weeks, and I assumed the only reason his hair didn't look greasy, was because he had it pulled back in a slick ponytail. He had always been pale and thin, but it seemed as if the muscle that had grown to cover his skeletal body had gone back into hiding. His face was ghostly white. The only color I could see that still shown his life was the purple veins that seemed to stand out like marker against his paling cheeks. I could almost find myself feeling sorry for such a sight, if I didn't know who this horrible git was.

I sucked in another deep breath of air, trying to not again note how intoxicating even this filthy, sad excuse for a man smelled. Wait, how the hell did he smell so great looking like this? I pushed the thoughts from my head. "You?!" I exclaimed. "Ohhh.. you, you, you.. That's all it ever is, innit, you great git? I should have pounded your face right in back in school. That one simple hit didn't hit that ego at all, did it, you.. you.. foul, terrible piece of trash?" I could hardly believe myself, standing up to what was my mortal enemy in school, to the one person I'd always let get to me.

Only, it didn't feel so good as he seemed to lower his head. "Right," he commented, almost sounding wounded. He seemed to have to regroup, to refind that Malfoy self-worth. "Right, well, it surely was never about you and your bloody duo bouncing right along, was it?" He shook his head slowly, tracing his fingers over the spines of a few books to his side. "If this place were still up and running, this entire library would be filled with Potty the Great, and how he took the Dark Lord form power, yeah? About how he avenged the 'Light Side,' and made the world safe from.. from all the bad evil Death Eaters," he exclaimed, letting his sleeve fall back to reveal the paled burning in his skin of the Dark Lord's mark.

He reached right past me to grab the same book I'd just been reading, finding a page that the book seemed to flip right to. Right before my eyes, he just ripped the pages in the book to shreds, just letting it fall in the small space between us. I let my eyes advert to the pages still floating downward, feeling anger radiating off of the man standing right before me. He was never a pleasant person in school, but I didn't recall this sort of anger flaming from him back in school. I imagined color flooding in his cheeks to match the anger that flashed out of him, but it never came. "Well, rightfully so! Harry was a great man, and he deserves trillions of books to be written about what he did!"

"What he did, Granger?" The other asked, slowly, as if he didn't understand the words. "What about the Merlin forsaken families that are torn to SHREDS just like that bloody book right there?" He motioned, letting his foot move to step on and grind the book into the stone floor. "What about those that he left unable to EVER work, because that lifestyle was all they were ever allowed to know? How about those that lost EVERYTHING that their family ever had?" He asked, his eyes intense on me now.

I felt my face fall into a flush, and I tried to hide back the tears that I felt, with someone doubting Harry. He was a great person. What he did was for the best! How dare anyone, let alone this insufferable twat, try to determine otherwise? Just as I decided to speak again, I had only just noticed the trail of tatty robes bellowing out of the aisle. I started after them, quickening my pace to keep up. "You git," I started, having issues keeping up. I had underestimated the length of his stride. He seemed to just float at a vast speed before me, his grace still intact from years previous. "Malfoy, I'm not done with this!"

He stopped in his tracks and whirled around to face me, taking a step back just in time to not collide with me. I only looked like a fool, I'm sure, as my body still opted to falter, nearly tripping into him. "Granger, you're here for your nostalgia. You've got it, now get out. Go back to Saint Potter and the little groveling Weasel, and tell them what you found in the glory days. A school lain in ruins and their ole pal Malfoy, left right along with it."

I blinked slowly, taking in what he said. Left right along with it? Surely he couldn't mean he was staying here. I suppose it would show why he looked as horrific as he did, but.. Wait. Why was I feeling sorry for him? He was still insulting my beloved friends, my precious Harry. "He's dead, you great oaf!" I exclaimed, unable to hold the tears back this time.

This time it was Malfoy's turn to blink, it seemed. Who was dead? He looked completely confused, and started to speak, but seemed to decide against it.

"Harry is, he's dead," I sobbed, covering my face. I hadn't yet cried. I was trying to be strong for everyone; for Ron, and for our family, but mostly for Ginny. Poor, sweet Ginny, who had said nothing in weeks, and refused food of any sort. I wasn't sure if he was even still standing before me, as the hot salty tears rushed freely down my cheeks now. "He's dead," I said softly, trying to wipe my tears back. I was almost startled again to see the other before me, a look that I couldn't decide as disdain, or content, or concern. I pushed the idea of the first two to be more realistic than the latter, but I couldn't help but notice the slight concern in his eyes.

He cleared his throat after a while, and finally spoke. "Well, we all die at some time or another, and I suppose Potter finally got what was coming for him after all of these years, didn't he, Granger? Dodging death is a tricky thing, and it finally caught up to him."

"I- what.. are you.." I stuttered, barely able to think clearly with the sudden anger I felt rushing through my very being, "You're the worst human being in the entire world! How could you possibly say something like that? You- you-"

"Oh, don't play off like you wouldn't expect it. You think that just because you've seen me on a down day that I'm a changed person, Granger? Your precious Potty took everything from me," he started, walking around me slowly. I turned to try to make sure he wasn't about to make a run for it as I listened to him speak. "I can't say I'm sad that he's gone. If you think you'll find sympathy from me, you're dead wrong."

I continued to spin as he walked around me, my eyes intensely on his face. I couldn't see how anyone could be so cruel. Then again, this git had inevitably led to a lot of the heartache and backache of me and my boys. I moved to reach for my wand, and noticed it already in his hand.

"Looking for this, Granger?" He asked, a single fine brow rising. "How d'you think I make profits without being able to get a job anywhere, mudblood? Never got to finish out my last year, did I? Never went to muggle school, not that I'd work for some worthless muggle like you, anyway," he spat.

And out of nowhere- my world went black.

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**Okay, so.. I realized earlier that the chapter was kind of short, so I thought I'd add in a little. Please give me feedback, guys. Let me know how you think its going so far, where you might like to see it go..**


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